In a 3-0 vote, the Ohio Athletic Commission today denied Brandon Saling’s appeal of a license revocation that was handed down this past month after it was discovered he lied about his criminal background.

Saling, who recently competed for Strikeforce, told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that he accepts the ruling but will seek fights in states that will license him.

“It’s fair,” Saling said. “I falsified my application.”

Saling’s revocation runs until April 11, 2013. Should he wish to fight in Ohio after that term, he will need to appear before the commission to show “just cause” as to why he should be reinstated, OAC Executive Director Bernie Profato said.

Saling said he’ll likely reapply when the term runs its course.

The New Jersey State Athletic Control Board issued a separate license revocation to Saling on April 9 after he declined to respond to a notice of intent from the commission, NJSACB legal counsel Nick Lembo confirmed. The term of that revocation runs to June 13, 2012, when his license in the state was set to expire. He could be called before the commission if he decides to reapply in New Jersey.

Saling’s status as a sex offender and felon came to light when he fought Roger Bowling (11-2 MMA, 4-2 SF) at “Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey” on March 3. In 2004, a then-18-year-old Saling (8-6 MMA, 0-1 SF) was indicted in Ohio for gross sexual imposition following an incident in which he and friend had sexual relations with two underage girls. Four years later, he went to jail on a domestic violence charge.

On an application he filed prior to the Strikeforce fight, Saling marked “no” when asked about previous convictions beyond traffic offenses.

Ohio initially revoked Saling’s license on March 6. He subsequently filed an appeal. Profato said a character witness testified on his behalf during today’s appeal.

Strikeforce released Saling following the loss and subsequent controversy over his past. (UFC president Dana White said he’d never fight under the Zuffa umbrella again.) Now 26, the fighter admits he made grave mistakes earlier in his life, but he said he’s since been trying to better himself. He also denied being a member of any white supremacist groups despite tattoos linked to Neo-Nazi culture that were visible to viewers of Strikeforce fight, which resulted in a TKO loss to welterweight Roger Bowling on the Showtime Extreme-televised preliminary card.

“Everyone thinks I’m this child predator, like I’m hiding out in the bushes being this sick [expletive] kind of person,” Saling said. “That’s not me by no means. The charges were because of the age difference between us. It’s not like I held anyone down and made them do anything. I know what I did was wrong, and I wish I could go back, but I can’t.

“I can get (my tattoos) covered up. If that’s the problem with me fighting for anybody, I can get it covered up. Maybe I could change it.”

Profato, meanwhile, said the situation has prompted him to take a closer look at the applications of potential licensees.
(Pictured: Brandon Saling)

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